Top 5 Books in Children’s Literature that Adults Love

by Leah Nayar

Top 5 Books in Children’s Literature that Adults Love

There is no other genre of books that transcends age, gender, race and religion like Children’s Literature. I’ve carried on reading books that fall into this category well into my adult life and will continue to do so for as long as I can read! Writing such epic tales and adventures requires authors to maintain a strong connection to childhood and to read it keeps the child in us alive.

Just to prove it, all the books I’ve included I first read as a proper grown up. A writer who can craft a tale with a gift inside for both children and adults is without doubt a magical being. Before I start I must say, there are some rare books that transcend genre itself, for that reason I haven’t included JK Rowling’s Harry Potter series in this list. It’s obviously amazing and we love it, nuff said.

“There are some themes, some subjects, too large for adult fiction; they can only be dealt with in a children’s book” ~ Philip Pullman

His Dark Materials By Philip Pullman (The Golden Compass, The Subtle Knife, The Amber Spyglass).

Hands down, my absolute favourite. This is an adventure like no other and the characters are unforgettable. To Follow Lyra, Pan, Will and their companions across inter-worlds is the most immersive experience, encountering Angels, Witches, Armoured Bears and more. There is a strong religious theme throughout, as with the works of Tolkien and Lewis, and as Pullman describes himself as a religious atheist, there is a chance that more devout readers could be offended! Lyra Belacqua is undoubtedly my favourite book character ever and the ending to this saga is burned into my memory, sometimes I pick up the final book, reread the last pages and have a little cry.

Danny The Champion Of The World By Roald Dahl.

No list would be complete without an entry by one of the most beloved children’s author worldwide, Mr Dahl. Despite Dahl’s many weird, wonderful and very popular stories this one I always feel is slightly overlooked. The story is about Danny and his father William, widowed when Danny was a tiny baby, who live together in a gypsy caravan behind the garage that they run. The central story is a little adventure in pheasant poaching, underage joy riding and the community coming together to put greedy landowner, Mr Hazell, in his place. The bond between father and son is so powerful and sincerely written that the love between them might just spill out of the page and run down you face in the shape of a teardrop. Look out for one of Danny’s bedtime stories which went on to be one of Dahl’s bestselling books!

Anne of Green Gables By LM Montgomery.

All hail, the most wonderful young lady in all the literary world. Anne, the flame haired orphan, mistakenly placed with the Cuthbert siblings in rural Canada is a wild soul and her utter loyalty and ability to see the wonder in everything and everyone around her makes her my ultimate role model for young girls. With plenty of drama, endless hilarious disasters and the heart warming bonding of an unconventional family, all topped off with her love/hate relationship with Gilbert Blythe, the antics of this fearless redhead will have you adding a trip to Prince Edward Island to your bucket list.

The Hobbit By JRR Tolkien.

My Father read it to me, I’ve read it to my children and this is just a real ‘Just a few more pages, please’ book. Bilbo Baggins is an unlikely hero and no one is more surprised by his participation in his mission with the dwarves than Bilbo himself. It has everything you could want, high adventure, hobbits, wizards, dragons and so much more. You get to visit The Shire and travel across Middle Earth and triumph over evil (eventually). Tolkien uses such beautiful language but doesn’t lose the pace of the story, an enviable skill, which makes it a timeless classic for all ages!

The Princess Bride By William Goldman.

This is one of a kind. It’s a swashbuckling adventure of the most elaborate and Golding’s imagination is second to none. The main story provides a kind of alternative fairy tale featuring Buttercup, the most beautiful girl in the world, and her one true love. Within the book the story is being read in modern time by a Grandfather to his sick Grandson and is an abridged version of an old book by S. Morgenstern. It’s a clever twist that adds a new element to the reading experience, especially considering it was published in 1973 long before the internet, so the mystery of whether Morgenstern’s original was real or not was almost impossible to find out.